


Welcome Home

by Kat_Greenleaf



Category: The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Angst, Family Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Inspired by Art, Multi, TRIGGER WARNING: Fall resulting in broken bones, Thranduil is an aerial dancer, bard does the German wheel, circus AU, thranduil's in the hospital, tilda's jealous
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-21
Updated: 2015-11-21
Packaged: 2018-05-02 18:25:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5259011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kat_Greenleaf/pseuds/Kat_Greenleaf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Legolas comes home from college and it's not the welcome anyone would want.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Welcome Home

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by http://sibandit.tumblr.com/post/110688383261/barduil-circus-au-thranduil-aerial-dance-bard

     Thranduil and Bard had a moment alone before the show started. Their group was going to be in the high school gymnasium to perform that evening. Both men were already in their costumes and were ready to go on at any moment. Bard had left his hair down and was wearing thick socks, comfortable jeans, and a sleeveless shirt. Thranduil also wore his hair down, but the only clothing on his body was the pair yoga pants he wore. He and Bard stood facing each other; holding hands. Bard ran his thumb over Thranduil’s left hand and played with the wedding band there. They had gotten married nearly eight years before. They had met in Laketown’s circus group when Thranduil moved there and asked if they could use an aerial dancer. The circus master had yes and Thranduil had started that week.

     “Are you ready for tonight?” Bard asked his husband.

     “As I’ll ever be,” Thranduil answered, a small smile about his lips.

     Bard leaned in and kissed the blonde before he went off to check his equipment one last time. Thranduil smiled. “Equipment” meant a German wheel. It fascinated Thranduil to watch Bard spin around in his wheel just as much as is fascinated Bard to watch Thranduil dance in the air using only two strips of aerial silk. Thranduil rubbed the tattoo on his left arm for reassurance. It was a good luck charm, and he needed all the luck he could get. His and Bard’s children were in the audience tonight. Bard’s always were, but this was the first time Thranduil’s son Legolas would be there in three years. Thranduil was terrified. His little leaf deserved a good show, and he was determined to give it.

     The troop never left Laketown or the surrounding Erebor and Mirkwood counties. They had been given offers for tours around the country, but they refused saying that the troop was made to be local and so it would stay local. Thranduil was glad. He had moved from Mirkwood to Laketown when his wife died. Legolas was just a baby then and Thranduil wouldn’t have joined the group if they traveled. But they stayed in the area and he was able to care for Legolas this way, the troop being his job. They held practice Tuesday and Thursday every week and held performances the first Sunday of every month or did special performances for all sorts of events.

     This performance was the first Sunday of August, and their performance was in honor of school starting later that week. Tilda was going to be a freshman, and Bain would start his senior year. Sigrid was out of college and worked a job at one of the local restaurants. She was working the afternoon shift that day, so she wouldn’t be able to attend the performance, but Thranduil and Bard knew she was cheering them on. Legolas had just finished college that year and was excited to see his parents perform after such a long time. He had driven his younger siblings to the high school and they were sitting on the top row of the bleachers. Thranduil saw them and smiled as he saw the excitement on their faces.

     The performance master went out and announced that the show was starting. Thranduil prepared himself for the most important show of his life. Well, of his life so far. The other acts seemed to fly by. Bard was before Thranduil, as he had always been, and Thranduil took comfort in watching his husband do all of his amazing tricks on the German wheel. But it was over all too soon and Thranduil had to go out and do his aerial dance routine. Before he went out, Bard came up and kissed him.

     “You’ve got this, Thran,” Bard whispered.

     “Thank you. You were amazing,” Thranduil replied.

     Bard smiled and kissed Thranduil again. The blonde took a deep breath and headed out to do his thing. His performance was going perfectly. He had one last trick to do. He would climb to nearly the very top of the silk and then fall. He would catch himself just before his face collided with the floor. This was a stunt he hadn’t performed in a while. But he’d been practicing and wanted to do it for Legolas. He had made it to the top of the silk and then started to fall.

     **

     Bain and Tilda watched in amazement and Legolas was excited beyond measure. He had loved this stunt ever since he was little, but his father so seldom performed it. Even though he knew what would happen, he felt the tension clench his insides as he watched his father tumble down the silks. Ten feet. Seven feet. Five feet.

     Suddenly, Thranduil jerked up and then dropped to the floor with a loud thump and a sickening crack. Legolas jumped up as his father let out a strangled cry of pain. Legolas started to run down the bleachers, but a man stopped him. Legolas tried to break free as he saw Bard run out to Thranduil, but the man held him fast. Legolas looked up and saw the face of Thorin Oakenshield, who was a close family friend.

     “Please, Uncle Thorin! Let me go!” Legolas pleaded.

     “No, Legolas. You won’t be of any use. We need you to stay calm and wait for help to come.”

     Legolas glared up at his “Uncle”, but then relented. Uncle Thorin was right. Legolas would be in the way if he went down. He reluctantly turned and trudged back up to his younger siblings. Tilda and Bain were holding each other and Tilda shook in her brother’s arms. They saw Legolas making his way back up through the crowd. They both saw the tears on his face and hurried to meet him. Tilda threw her arms around her oldest brother. Legolas hugged her back and they held each other tightly. Bain put his arms around both of them and offered his comfort.

     There was another sudden commotion as the paramedics hurried in with a gurney. Legolas looked up and saw the men approach his parents. Bard helped them lift Thranduil on to the gurney.

     “Ada!” Legolas cried.

     Legolas flew down the now-clear bleachers and ran to follow the paramedics. He felt hands on his arms and tried to pull free. But he was pulled into the embrace of his step-father. Bard held Legolas to his chest and made sure his step-son wouldn’t be able to catch up with the paramedics before letting him go. Legolas looked up at his father.

     “Da, what happened?” Legolas asked, brokenly.

     “I’m not sure, Legolas,” Bard answered, just as broken.

     Legolas let his head fall onto his father’s shoulder and let go of the sob that was choking him. Bard put his arms back around the young man. Tilda watched and held Bain’s hand. Neither one could remember the last time they’d seen Legolas so upset. But they were all soon in a car that was headed to the hospital. They hurried in and the receptionist pointed them toward the ward they wanted to go to. Surgery. Legolas let out a sob and Tilda took his hand. They all walked down the hall and made it to the surgery waiting room. Bard was allowed into the surgery rooms, as he worked a night shift at the hospital for a main source of income. But his children had to wait in the waiting room.

     Legolas sat in a seat and was silent. He held his head in his hands and tried to control the sobs threatening to take over. Bain sat next to him and put an arm around his shoulders for comfort as Tilda made a phone call. When she was finished with her call, Tilda sat down on the floor by Legolas and rested her head on his lap while she wrapped her arms around his calves.

     **

     Sigrid normally loved her job at the restaurant. But it was just frustrating today. Sunday was always busy with people coming in to eat late lunches after church services, or early dinners before evening activities. She could never understand how anyone could eat dinner at four o’clock in the afternoon. Not only was it too early to be serving the dinner food – which seemed to throw her stomach off, she was getting hungry even though she’d just eaten lunch – but the customers today were being extremely difficult with her. This didn’t always happen. But when it did, it was mostly on Sundays. Sigrid had never figured out why. One thing that made it bearable, though, was that her boyfriend was the manager. Fíli was amazing when it came to handling customers. They had been together for about a year now and were very glad to be working together. Today was no exception.

     Sigrid was taking orders at a booth in the back of the restaurant when Fíli hurried out to her.

     “Sigrid, I need you in the kitchen. You have a call,” Fíli whispered to her. As Sigrid hurried to the back, Fíli said to the customers, “I’m sorry. I will get you another server. I apologize for the inconvenience.”

     Luckily, this table was friendlier and they were willing to wait patiently for a new server. Fíli hurried back to the kitchen and pulled Sigrid into a back office. He picked up his desk phone, took it off hold, and then handed it to Sigrid. She gave him a questioning look but answered the phone anyway.

     “Hello?”

     “Sig?” it was Tilda. “You need to leave. Now!”

     “Why? What’s up?” Sigrid questioned.

     “Ada’s in the hospital. One of his tricks went wrong. Legolas is in a horrible state and Da’s in the room with Ada. We’re not allowed in.”

     Sigrid froze. Her mouth was stuck open in shock. When she finally got her voice she replied, “I’ll be there soon.”

     She put the phone back on the receiver and grasped the desk to keep herself upright. Fíli pulled her into his arms and held her until she stopped shaking.

     “Fee, I have to go,” Sigrid mumbled into Fíli’s shirt.

     “I’m driving you. You won’t get far like this.”

     Fíli walked her out to the parking lot behind the restaurant and helped her into the passenger side of his car. He asked her where, and she answered that they were at the hospital on Sixth Street. Fíli pulled into a parking space and walked Sigrid inside. Just outside the waiting room, Fíli hugged Sigrid again.

     “Sig, I have to go back. You have the next week off.”

     “But Fee…”

     “No. You have the next week off. Call me with updates and we can go from there. I’ll assume you’ll be staying with your folks.”

     He kissed her on the head and left. Sigrid didn’t mind, though. She hurried into the waiting room. She saw her brothers and sister sitting there. Tilda was sitting on the floor and hugging Legolas’ legs. Bain had an arm around Legolas and a hand on Tilda’s head. Legolas only sat there with his head in his hands. If one wasn’t looking closely, they might say he wasn’t moving. But Sigrid saw him shaking. She rushed over to them. Sigrid first checked Tilda, who was shaken but otherwise okay. Sigrid checked Bain. She could tell he was more frightened than he let on, but he said he was okay and had faith that the doctors would fix what needed to be fixed.

     Sigrid motioned with her hand and Tilda and Bain moved to sit a bit farther away from their two oldest siblings. Sigrid knelt in front of Legolas and put her hands on his knees.

     “Legolas.”

     No answer.

     “’Las, please look at me.”

     No response.

     “Legolas, I need you to talk to me,” Sigrid tried again while gently pulling Legolas’ hands from his face.

     Sigrid’s heart broke when she saw her brother’s face. He was pale, there were tear stains running down his cheeks, and his eyes were filled with sadness and fear. She quickly pulled him into her arms and they sat on the floor together as Legolas cried into Sigrid’s shoulder. When he was finally calm, Sigrid tried again.

     “Talk to me, Legolas.”

     Legolas took a shaky breath, “I got ba-ack earlier this morning. Da and Ada were a-already at the s-school helping set up and p-p-practicing. I g-got some r-rest and Bain a-and Ti-ilda woke me up in ti-ime to d-drive us all to th-the schoo-ool. We wa-atched the acts just fine. Da we-ent and was g-gre-eat as a-always. The-en A-ada we-ent. He di-id his fa-alli-ing trick where he-e climbs to the t-t-top of the si-ilks and tum-mbles dow-wn. He ma-ade it about fi-ive feet befo-ore he je-erked and dro-opped on th-the gy-ym floo-oor.”

     Sigrid didn’t need to be told any more. She hushed Legolas, and he cried into her shoulder once more.

     Bain held his younger sister in his arms as she, too, began to sob. Tilda and Thranduil had a special relationship. She had been infatuated with his hair when she was younger and it just escalated from there. Both she and Legolas were hit hard by this accident.

     **

     The four siblings sat in the waiting room nearly all night. Tilda had fallen asleep on Bain and Legolas had fallen asleep on Tilda. Fíli had returned later with some food and left it for them. None of them had touched the food yet – Legolas and Tilda were not awake and neither Bain nor Sigrid had the stomach for it.

     Bain finally dozed off at some point and Sigrid had just closed her eyes when the door opened and Bard reemerged. Sigrid carefully laid Legolas down and then rushed over to her father. They embraced and then sat down.

     “How is he?” Sigrid asked.

     “First, tell me what’s been going on out here. Anything I’ll need to fix?”

     “Legolas had a breakdown. Tilda and Bain held up okay. Legolas told me what happened and then he and Tilda started crying again. They fell asleep shortly after. Fee brought us something to eat but we haven’t eaten yet. Bain just fell asleep a few minutes ago.” She took a breath. “How is Ada?”

     “Alive and well, actually,” Bard answered, smiling. “He broke his left arm and dislocated the same leg. They had to surgically repair his left leg but he’ll be alright with proper rehab. No head injuries, thank God, but I don’t think he’ll be mentally ready to do his act any time soon – never mind physically ready.”

     Sigrid sighed and rested her head on her father’s shoulder, “Is he out yet, Da?”

     “Yes, he’s in a room down the hall. But they won’t let us in tonight. We’ll go home and come back tomorrow morning. Wake up Bain and Tilda, but leave Legolas. He needs to rest.”

     Sigrid nodded and did as she was told. Bain woke easily but Tilda took a bit more effort. Once both teenagers were up, Bard picked Legolas up off the floor and carried him, bridal style, through the halls and out to the car. They got Legolas buckled into the back seat, buckled themselves in, and then rode home.

     Bain and Tilda went to bed immediately. Bard laid Legolas in his, Legolas’, bed before going back downstairs to join Sigrid on the couch. They sat together silently for a while until Sigrid kissed her father on his cheek and went to sleep in a guest room, as she had moved out already. Bard stayed up until nearly two o’clock before he finally went to bed. But the bed felt empty without Thranduil and Bard didn’t find sleep for at least another hour.

     **

     Legolas was up early the next morning. He made coffee and ate a bowl of cereal. He knew that he and the rest of his family would go to see Thranduil later, but he was becoming impatient. He was scared and wanted to know that his father was okay. Sigrid was the next to make her way downstairs, and it was she who found Legolas pacing in the kitchen. Sigrid sighed and hurried over to her brother. She wrapped her arms around him and he stopped moving. Legolas put his arms around Sigrid and they stood there like that for a while. Tilda found them. She saw them hugging and talking. They didn’t notice her presence until she stomped her foot and ran off in the direction off the back door.

     Sigrid watched Tilda run off. Legolas saw, too, and made to go after Tilda. But Sigrid stopped her brother.

     “She does this sometimes,” Sigrid explained. “She’ll go climb the tree in the back yard and come back when she’s calm. Da says it’s been happening for a while. Though, I haven’t been at home to see it.”

     Legolas gave her a strange look, “I thought you lived here.”

     Sigrid smiled, “I moved in with Fee about a year ago. I wanted to send you a letter, but I didn’t know what address to send it to. I didn’t look into it quick enough and forgot.”

     Legolas gave a small smile and kissed Sigrid’s forehead.

     Soon enough Bain and Bard were up and had eaten their breakfast. Bard hadn’t even asked after Tilda. He knew she was either still asleep or was out in the tree – either way, she shouldn’t be bothered. The family was sitting in the living room watching the news when Tilda walked back in. No one said anything as she got herself a bowl of cereal and sat down on the living room floor.

     Just after the weather – sunny and in the mid-seventies – there was a blurb on the accident that had happened the previous day. Sigrid and Bard both reached to put a hand on Legolas’ leg or shoulder when it started. Tilda saw. She started coughing and lurched to the left, spilling her cereal on Legolas’ right leg. She apologized half-heartedly and Legolas told her that it wasn’t a big deal. Tilda went out to the kitchen to put her dishes away and grab a towel for Legolas. Bard followed her.

     “What was that about, Tilly?” Bard asked.

     “What was what about?” Tilda answered, not looking at her father. “That wasn’t a real cough. You did that on purpose.”

     Tilda slammed her bowl into the dish drainer, “It’s not fair!”

     Bard was shocked for a moment, but then asked, “What’s not fair?”

     Tilda whirled around and gave her father a cold, angry stare. “He’s my Ada, too! I love him just as much as the rest of you! But no one’s sitting here comforting me! Making sure I’m not about to break down when his story comes up on the TV! Legolas is getting all the attention! He’s not the only one who’s upset!”

     Bard walked forward and kissed his daughter’s forehead.

     “I know, sweetheart,” Bard soothed. “But Legolas has only just finished school and just got home. He was not prepared to experience this after not seeing us for so long. I am always here when you want to talk.”

     “I know. I am sorry for my outburst,” Tilda whispered.

     “It’s alright. We’re all stressed,” Bard continued. “And that’s another thing. It’s not just you and Legolas, either. Sigrid, Bain, and I are also all upset. We just aren’t as obvious and dramatic as you and Legolas.”

     He was teasing. Tilda knew it and it brought a smile to her face.

     **

     After Legolas had gotten cleaned up and everyone had gotten ready, they all piled back into the car to go to the hospital. Legolas was silent and just stared at his hands. Sigrid and Tilda talked quietly while Bain stared out the window. Bard looked over at Legolas. The young man looked so dejected and Bard didn’t know how to fix it. But he was driving, so all he did was set his right hand on Legolas’ knee. Legolas didn’t seem to have noticed the touch. And if he did, he didn’t acknowledge it at all.

     They all walked quietly through the halls. Legolas kept his hands in his sweatshirt pockets and his eyes on the floor in front of him. He followed Bard’s feet through the hallway. He didn’t want to be touched. But some part of him wished one of his family members would try just so he had that reassurance that they cared. He knew it was selfish, and tried to get rid of the thought. Especially after what Tilda had said earlier. They had all heard what she yelled. Legolas had almost lost it, but he’d kept his eyes on the TV and pretended he hadn’t heard.

     Now they were outside the room, and Bard wanted Legolas to go in first.

     “No, you all take your turns first. Otherwise I’ll take up all our time.”

     Bard went in first. He spoke to his husband for about twenty minutes before going out and letting Sigrid and Bain go in together. They spent about half an hour before coming out and letting Tilda in. No one knew exactly what happened, they were never told, but Tilda came out after five minutes and then shoved Legolas at the door, a smile covering her face. Legolas walked into the room, confused, but pushed that aside when he saw his father. Thranduil’s arm and leg were elevated and he had his eyes closed. He was pale and he looked incredibly tired.

     Legolas sat in a chair next to the bed and looked at his father. He couldn’t tell if Thranduil was asleep or not. But then Thranduil opened his mouth.

     “Are you just going to keep staring at me or what?” Thranduil’s deep voice joked.

     Legolas smiled the smallest bit, “I wasn’t sure if you were sleeping or not.”

     Thranduil smiled, opening his eyes, “I’m awake.”

     “I see.” Thranduil sighed,

     “Welcome home, Legolas. I’m sorry it wasn’t the welcoming any of us were expecting.”

     “It’s alright, Ada. As long as you’re safe.”

     “I love you, little leaf.”

     “I love you, too, Ada.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
